A selection of the best of eclectic articles at Ruby-Sapphire.com.

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Digital Devil #13. A tale of Burmese rubies, Burmese heat, a Shan princess and a Burmese general.

An account of the authors' 1997 visit to Burma's jade mines.

In 1996, several gemologists set off for Burma's remote jade mines, the first visit by foreigners since the early 1960's. This is the story of their epic journey.

Since the late 1960's, East Africa has been home to some of planet earth's greatest gem discoveries. And yet, little has been written about certain of these finds. In the autumn of 2007, the authors set out to fill in the gaps, specifically regarding Tanzania's Mahenge, Songea and Tunduru regions.

A discussion of the ethics of gem treatment disclosure, a comparison of gem treatments, and the crisis these could bring to the industry if mishandled.

A look at the nexus between gem smuggling and drug smuggling out of Burma (Myanmar), along with the two-faced policies of certain Western governments.

When Max Green set about looting trust fund accounts in Australia, he had no idea it would lead to a sapphire mine in Laos… and a dead body in Cambodia.

Digital Devil #7. The believe-it-or-not story of Australia's Lenny Cram and his opal mine in a mason jar.

A 2006 mission to remote ruby and spinel localities in Tajikistan.

A loving look at ruby – the gem of passion – from the standpoint of the connoisseur.

Sapphire is one of the classic gems. In this article, Lotus Gemology's resident connoisseur casts a discerning eye at the factors that contribute to quality in this legendary precious stone.

Digital Devil #10. It was Tucson. Show over. The last supper. One of those marvelous evenings which Tucson regularly delivers…

An over-and-underground look at the tanzanite mines of Merelani, Tanzania, where the First World meets the Third, and graphite-covered miners pull glittering blue gems from black earth.

The mining of natural red andesine in Tibet has been a subject of controversy. This article describes RWH's second visit to the Tibetan deposit.

The subject of andesine in Tibet has been one of controversy since 2008. This article examines the history of the issue, along with detailing an October 2010 visit to the Tibetan andesine deposit.

One of the greatest gemological challenges is determining if a ruby or sapphire has been heat treated. UV fluorescence can assist in that identification, as well as detecting fillers in emerald.